This traditional undergraduate philosophy major (24-1) is designed to provide familiarity with the history and current status of the main problems in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics; mastery of some of the technical skills requisite for advanced work in philosophy; facility at independent philosophical study; and work at an advanced level in an allied field.
Required Subjects
One History of Philosophy subject:
24.01 Classics in Western Philosophy (CI-H)
24.201 Topics in the History of Philosophy (CI-M)
One Knowledge and Reality subject:
24.08J Philosophical Issues in Brain Science (CI-H)
24.09 Minds and Machines (CI-H)
24.111 Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
24.112 Space, Time, and Relativity
24.114J A Philosophical History of Energy (CI-H)
24.211 Theory of Knowledge
24.215 Topics in the Philosophy of Science
24.221 Metaphysics
24.251 Introduction to Philosophy of Language (CI-M)
24.253 Philosophy of Mathematics
24.280 Foundations of Probability
One Value subject:
24.02 Moral Problems and the Good Life (CI-H)
24.04J Justice (CI-H)
24.06 Bioethics (CI-H)
24.120 Moral Psychology (CI-M)
24.209 Philosophy in Film and Other Media
24.213 Philosophy of Film
24.214 Introduction to Philosophy of the Arts
24.222 Decisions, Games and Rational Choice
24.231 Ethics (CI-M)
24.235J Philosophy of Law
24.237 Feminist Theory (CI-M)
24.263 The Nature of Creativity (CI-M)
One Logic Subject
24.118 Paradox and Infinity
24.241 Logic I
24.242 Logic II
24.243 Classical Set Theory
24.244 Modal Logic
24.245 Theory of Models
or a logic subject from another department (e.g., Mathematics) with the approval of the major advisor.
and
24.260 Topics in Philosophy (CI-M)
Restricted Electives
A coherent program of five additional subjects, of which two must be in philosophy
Notes on Major
Contact Information:
Vann McGee | Undergraduate Officer & Advisor | vmcgee@mit.edu
Jennifer Purdy | Undergraduate Administrator | purdy@mit.edu